skip to main content

Pacemaker Dental Precautions — MFDS Part 1 MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

ModerateHuman DiseasePacemaker Dental PrecautionsMFDS Part 1

A 68-year-old patient with a permanent cardiac pacemaker requires routine ultrasonic periodontal debridement. The patient is clinically stable, has no prosthetic heart valve or previous infective endocarditis, and presents their pacemaker identification card. Which is the most appropriate management?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: A — Record the device details and proceed with ultrasonic scaling using correctly maintained equipment as intended

The correct answer is A. The dentist should establish and record the implanted device details, but a modern permanent pacemaker is not a routine contraindication to ultrasonic scaling. Current UK NHS advice states that ultrasonic dental cleaning is safe when equipment is functioning correctly and used as intended. Device-clinic advice should be sought if the device type is uncertain or a procedure with greater electromagnetic-interference potential, such as electrosurgery, is planned. A pacemaker alone is not an indication for antibiotic prophylaxis; any separate valvular or infective-endocarditis risk must be assessed independently. Local anaesthesia, including appropriately selected vasoconstrictor-containing preparations, is not universally contraindicated. Neither a compulsory supine position nor corticosteroid supplementation is required because of a pacemaker.

Reference: Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Your guide to living with a pacemaker, section 'Hospitals & dentists'. Reviewed 26 February 2026. https://www.leedsth.nhs.uk/patients/resources/your-guide-to-living-with-a-pacemaker-2/